Thy golden grain in fruitful fields heaped high,
Thy ripened leaves that mock the painter's art;

Rich purple grapes whose fragrance fills the air,
Whose tender bloom seems borrowed from the skies;
Bright flowers that fade, yet no sad garments wear,
But dying fold them like Earth's parting prayer,
A prayer that knows no dark-clad mysteries.

O Dying Year! why should man fear to die,
When with such hopeful smile thy farewell's said?
"Tis that his works in incompleteness lie,
Thy lessons passed unsought, unheeded by,

And all unheard Time's ever fleeting tread.

MY LIFE AND I.

We've marched along, my Life and I,
For many a passing year;

We have seen hopes that withered by
Like blossoms watered with a tear.

When days were fair and life was young,

What merrier twain than Life and I? No blither song the wild bird sung Beneath a summer sky.

The spring still offers us her flowers,
We gather them, my Life and I,

But tears are in the April showers-
And her fair buds but bloom to die.

The Autumn smiles with kindly face
And shakes down nuts; my Life and I
Look sadly at the withered leaves,

Like earth's short dreams, swift hurrying by.

Yet Life hath often whispered low

Of joys that she could never give,That earth and flesh might never know,Nor mortal heart conceive and live,

Of pastures green, where wand'ring souls,
Homeless on earth, a rest might take;
Where those athirst, unsatisfied,

In living streams that thirst might slake.

So wand'ring on, my Life and I

Still keep that better home in sight! When thick the clouds in sorrow's sky We see afar its beck'ning light!

And Life oft whispers soft and low,

The time draws near that we must part—

Thou wilt not grieve to see me go,
For I shall bring, ere I depart,

A life that's joyous, peaceful, bright,
Free, free from sadd'ning grief or pain—

No parted friends, no weary years

That lengthen till we meet again.

FROM SHORE TO SHORE.

From shore to shore, leaving the Land of Birth

Where all seemed good, and wonderful and fair, The heavens so hung with beauty, and the earth Spreading its gorgeous treasures everywhere;

Soft breezes rippled as we sailed along

The sunlit waters glist'ning 'neath the oar: Gay insects floated by us, and the song

Of merry birds resounded from the shore.

Then Mirth was with us with her laughing eyes,

And Pleasure lured us with her many wiles, Painting her pictures to our glad surprise ;

And Love embraced us with her winning smiles.

Then changed the scene! for clouds low gathering hung,

And winter winds blew chilly o'er the sea,

Wrecks came in view where starving mortals clung,
While the wild winds but mocked their misery.

And freighted ships with costly treasures piled
Ran down the lonely bark that bravely strove,
While from the waters sinking faces smiled,
Or looked in agony to powerless love.

Then on, swift onward, we are drifting now,
Feeble and weak with ever-failing powers;
Bright berries float around the vessel's prow,
Branches of unknown trees, and strange, sweet
flowers.

Bright feathered birds betoken land is near,
That Better Land of which we dream so oft-
Voices of loved ones' welcome we can hear,

And strains of heavenly music sweet and soft.

And this the strain borne to our list'ning ears:
"Come unto Me, and rest, life's trials o'er ;
Forget the world, its woes, its strife, its fears;
Forget the troubled voyage from shore to shore !'

NEW LIFE.

Lift up the white sheet

'tis not death,

But Spring with rosy scented breath,

Waking from winter's sleep;

Believe love, beauty, life shall rise,
With brighter hopes, 'neath fairer skies;
Death takes, but cannot keep.

True to her voice Spring's birds return,
And faithless hearts have yet to learn

Heaven echoes with earth's song ;—
A song that ceased in grief and pain,
But finding there no minor strain
The sad notes to prolong.

Lift up the white sheet-'tis not death,
But Spring with sweetest scented breath
Looks up with laughing eyes;

Not death, but vig'rous life is there,
With song and fragrance in the air,
Where myriad blossoms rise.

And when the body seeks the ground
And lies beneath the grassy mound,
Oh! see the new-found spring!

Still moves the spirit on its way,

Our dark night turned to endless day-
All gloomy shadows fled away

As birds of night take wing.

OVER THE RIVER.

Over the river are friends of mine;

I see their lights on the summer eves; Telling of homes and their peaceful joys, They flicker and dance thro' the locust leaves.

Over the river are friends of mine;

The waves flow ever, yet never divide; Thoughts, glad thoughts, on a spirit line Pass and repass to the other side.

Morning may drop her clouds of mist

To hang like a veil in the summer air Hiding the houses of friends from sight,

But we know that the dwellings and friends are there.